Water-softener regenerating process and apparatus



y F. x. LAUTERBUR ET AL 78 WATER SQFTENER REGENERATING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Fiied Aug. 18, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 llll llll l I T INVENTOR.

BY (W ATTORNEYS.

y 1936- F. x. LAUTERBUR ET AL 2,042,178

WATER SOFTENER REGENERATING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Aug. 18, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY w w Qawm ATTORNEY:

M y 26, F. x. L-AUTERBUR ET AL 78 WATER SOFTENER REGENERATING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Aug. 18, 1932 5 Sheets-Sh 3 M-Z %VENTQR. 6am) gm ATTORNE Y5 May 26, 1936. 2,042,178

WATER SOFTENER REGENERATING PROCESS AND AIPARATUS' F. x. LAUTERBUR ET AL 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 18,

INVENTOR.

L II L 1 2 3 .1--- lnilh ATTORNEYS.

May 6, 1936. .F. x. LAQTERBUR ET AL 2,042,178

' WATER SOF'I'ENER REGENERATING PROCESS AND APPARATUS 5 Sheets-$heet 5 INVENTORT ATTORNEYS,

oFFcE E are WATER-SOFTENER nnonmma'rme raocnss AND APPARATUS Frank X. Lauterbur and Edward J. Lauterbur, Sidney, Ohio; Wilhelmina S. Lauterbur and- Leo v. Lauterbur, executors of said Frank X. Lauterbur, deceased Application-August 1a, 1932, Serial No, 629,335

' 13 Claims. (01. 210-24) Our invention'relates-to water-softening proction by a. jet of water therethrough into water esses and apparatus, and more especially to procover the bed, with the normal water pressure reesses and apparatus employing base exchange sillieved therefrom. Also, for the regenerative reicates for softening the water, and in which the agent we prefer to use an exceptionally strong 5 base exchange silicates are periodically revivified brine of common salt, which, when forcibly in- 5 or regenerated by treating with an alkaline rejected into the body of suspension of the zeolite, agent, such as common salt. intimately associates therewith dueto .the espe- In general,v the'object of our invention is to i liyopen distribution of the zeolite in susp neiiect the regeneration thoroughly, with economy 1 low ng a quicker Operation and more thor- .10 of materials and effort, and to provide simple, oughregeneration. This is in distinction from 10 reliable and effective apparatus for carrying out W infil r n f b in y which method. the the process of regeneration, as well as maintainconcentration of the brine is not permitted to be ing an emcient normal working condition of the v y h, and the m Of p ati n is fi i' softener between the periods of regeneration, governed by the rate of brine inflow. It is our ,A'particular object is toemploy in aconvenient present purpose to provide a scientifically corl5 and efiective manner, th jet action for preparrect method of. regeneration which, due to its ing the softening agent for thorough action of high emciency, requires 1955 Salt but Secures the the regenerating material, such as the jet action desired a ti n q kly and p sitiv ly, with t rdisclosed and claimed in ur co-pending appllough cleansing of the filter bed of the softening cation, Serial No. 354,622, filed April 12, 1929. apparatus and as nearly as possible complete re- 20 A further'object is t introduce .t regenemjuvenation or regeneration of the zeolite.

this material into association with the softening 0111 P e pp t makes t p l to e agent'in an especially effective manner whereby P a soaking step in our pr W t there will be maximum intimacy of i t commingled zeolite and brine remain in a quies and o t t for complete reaction of t t cent state'for a desired period of time. This is 25 rials ,4 due to the forced action adapted to draw in a brine An optional object is to increa th thorough of very concentrated, almost crystalline consist ness of regeneration by prolonging the associaency, which, owing to its high specific gravity and tion of the two materials, aflording a soaking to the low specific gravity of the zeolite, will hold action. I the zeolite in suspension without agitation.

A further particiuar object is to provide appa- We y employ this quiescent, oa ng step ratus which will can-y t th successive steps in our process, or in a modification, dispense with of the process-as a result of simple manipulation it, introducing water immediately to rinse the in accordance with simpl dir t n for manual zeolite immediately after cessation of brine inoperation. and m 1s adaptable to automatic flow, in which case the brine concentration may 35 operation, as for instance in conjunction with be much lowerautomati o trolli g means such as disclosed A further object of our apparatus is to convenand claimed in our prior p t t 1,804,334 iently renew water to the brine supply, by simple' i u May 12; 1931, v means operated alternatively with the other uses A further object is to employ an injector action of t Water in P Ocess- 40 in introducing the regenerative material, preferher objects will appear in the course of the ably by force of waterrgmm the hard water following description, illustrated by the accomsupply mains; and preferably to provide for ma panymg drawings in whichm m u of this water pressure operation by Figure 1 is an elevation, looking to the right in' simple means, and for simple, convenient and ecothe brine tank and the part of h nomical disposal of all waste flow, whether from g'gffgrg' m gggg sectmn to reveatthe'im gmz iig g g gfgi we Fig. 2 is an elevation, looking to the 1m in Fig.

1 to prefer to employ synthetic zeolite,'-ior example only the upper part of the brine tank being v 15h l havjng specific gravity of approximately .8, s i e ower part of the softener tank which is'f'readily suspended by asl etion'into a th eof,

section to reveal the interior details body of water over the normal bed 01 the ma I v 3 is a yerticalsection on the line terial, and which attains an especially well of 2, to shows. valve and one of its I tributed and open suspension such I on an enlarged scale.

relations of the cams to each other and to the valves, in the example employing the index as seen in Fig. 5.

Fig. 6a is a similar diagram illustrating these relations in the example employing the index of Figs. 1 and 5a.

Fig. '7 is a diagram illustrating the normal stage of operation of the softener.

Fig. 8' is a partial similar diagram illustrating the jet operation or roiling stage,

Fig. 9 is a similar diagram illustrating the brine injection stage.

Fig. 10 is a similar diagram illustrating the quiescent or soaking stage. i

Fig. 11 is a similar diagram illustrating the rinsing stage. 4

In one example of our process, weshut oi! the hard water supply and open the waste outlet, thereby relieving the contained water and zeolite bed of the normal water pressure. We then open the hard water supply to a jet opening into the bed of zeolite. The apparatus. contains a body of water over the zeolite bed, and the jet raises the disintegrated zeolite from its packed condition "and carries it up into this body of water. The

water displaced by the jet action escapes at the top through the waste outlet without carrying out the zeolite, which is light enough for suspension without actual flotation.

After such duration of this jet operation as will effect a thoroughly distributed suspension of the entire body of zeolite in the water, the jet is shut off. Then water is admitted from the hard water supply to the injector which acts through a connection with the brine tank to draw up the brine and inject it under the filter bed, to pass rapidly up therethrough and into the suspended zeolite,

displacing the waterof suspension and suspend- Zing the zeolite in the'brine. The displaced water escapes through the waste outlet, including that displaced by the water from the injectoraction, which also is.discharged into the tank below the filter bed through the pipe normally used for the hard water inlet. The injector then is stopped, and the associated zeolite and brine are left quiescent for such a period as is found to effect a thorough renewal of 'efliciency of the zeolite. Then the hard water inlet is opened, admitting the rinsing water, which carries the brine together with substances cleaned from the'zeolite and from the filter bed, out through the waste outlet. When the rinsing has been completed, the waste outlet is closed, and the hard water inlet is left open, restoring the normal operating conditions. The soft water outlet has a check valve which closes toward the softener when the pressureis relieved in the softener, under the pressure of' the soft waters'ystem, preventing back flow. of the soft water-when the waste outlet is open, and which opens as soon as normal pres-v are outlet closed a.

'opened as soon as the injector is stopped.

In our preferred apparatus which we illustrate for carrying out our process of the flrst'example, the upright cylindrical tank I has, spaced up from its bottom 2, the distributor plate 3 having perforations l distributed throughout its area across the tank, and having opening down through it the hard water inlet pipe 5. A bed of material 3, preferably charcoal, is packed under the plate 3, and on its top is a bed I of gravel or the like. On top of this bed I, the zeolite bed 3 rests in settled compactcondition during normal operation, as seen in Fig. 1. Centrally of the tank, in the lower part of the zeolite bed, just above thergra'vel I, is the jet head ID with base casing H entered by jet inlet pipe l2, and a coni- I cal top II with radiating jet orifices I4 opening radially outwardly and upwardly into the zeolite bed- 3.

The hard-water, pipe 5 and the jet pipe I2 extend up through the head ii ofthe tank I and a T fitting l6 opens through the head I5 and has the soft-water outlet pipe. I! extending from its side, with the check valve l8 therein. A T i9 on the end of the hard-water pipe 5 has leading from its side a nipple 20 entering an upturned elbow 2| having a side outlet and having connected to its-top the injector-control valve 22;

- The hard-water control valve 23 is" connected to the top of the T l9 and has connected to its top the cross fitting 24 with the hard-water supply pipe 25 entering its top. The jet-control valve 26 on the end of the jet pipe i2, is connected by the elbow 21 to the adjacent side of the cross fitting 14. nected, to the top of the T IQ of the soft-waterpipe l1, and the elbow 29 leads from its top and.

connects to the waste. pipe 30, understood to lead to a sewer or other waste disposal means.

30 Thewaste-control valve 28 is con- To the opposite side of the cross fitting 24 is connected the injector 3|, into the bottom of which leads the brine pipe 32 from the brine tank 33, through an-upwardly opening check valve 34.

An elbow connects the opposite end of the injector draws the brine up through the brine pipe 32 and injects it into the tank I, along with the water operating the injector,through pipe 5, to pass up into the water suspending the zeolite.

, The brine pipe 32has a T in it, from which the branch pipe 35 leads to the side of elbow 2| of the 'by pass, with a valve 36 which, when opened, with the hard-water inlet valve 23 open, admits water through brine pipe 32 to replenish 45 that the water rushing through the injector 3| the water in the brine tank 33, through the top of which the brine pipe 32 leads downinto the gravel bed 31, where it has a strainer 33 on its end. The tank 33 contains the salt-.33 above the bed 31, and above thisthe supply'ofs water 40 to be drawn down through the salt "and the bed '31.

'Each of the four .z'its valve member 4| connected I'; stein 42 projecting through one end "of the valve valves 22', zada edg'u has as I body; the memberjl' being yieldingly seated by a spring 43, as shown-in Fig.3. The camshaft l4 Journaled horizontally in the ends 45 and 43 of box casing 41 mounted on top of tank'head l5.

Valve stems 42 extend into thiscasing 41, alined in the horizontal" plane of the shaft axis. A

' series of cams 43, 43, i0 and II contact their pethe manipulating crank handle 52 in front of the index plate 53 fixed on the end 45, with equally spaced graduations, marked 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, in a series concentric with the shaft 44, and succeeding in clockwise direction.

As shown in Fig. 6, brine-valve control cam 48 and jet-valve control cam 50 are alike in shape, each with 288 deg. of concentric periphery and 72 deg. of volute rise a and a, respectively, to a drop I) and b, respectively,of radial extent for opening and permitting closure of the respective valve. Jet cam 50 is set so that its rise a passes the valve stem in turning handle 52 from to 1, opening jet valve 26, and brine cam 48 is set so that its rise a passes the valve stem in the next move from 1 to 2 to open brine-control valve 22.

Water-inlet control cam 49 has '72 deg. of periphery concentric on a greater radius than 216 deg. of lesser radius, with rise 0 of 72 deg-between the portions and a drop dfrom one portion to the other, and is arranged so that drop d passes the valve stem at inception of movement from 0 to 1, for closure of water-inlet valve 23, to remain closed until movement from 3 to 4 brings rise c to open the valve, holding it open in movement from 4 to 0 by the portion of greater radius.

Waste-outlet control cam 5| has 288 deg. of periphery on the greater radius, with rise c from drop d, of 72 deg. extent, and is arranged so that drop d has passed the valve stem as mark 0 is reached by handle 52, the rise 0 opening wastevalve 28 upon turning from 0 to 1 and the remaining concentric part holding the valve open throughout the remainder of turning until drop d allows it to close.

In Figs. 7 to 11, inclusive, heavy lines represent pipes through which there is flow, the brine flow to injector 3| being indicated by heavy dash lines in Fig. 9; and the heavy lines extend through the circles representing valves that are open. Thus, in Fig. '7, valve 23 and check valve [8 are open, and the other three valves 22, 26 and 28 are closed; this being the condition of the apparatus for normal water-softening operation. In Fig. 8, valves 26 and 28 are open, operating the jet l0 and relieving pressure and allowing escape of water displaced by the jet, through waste pipe 30; and valves 22 and 23 are closed, and check valve I8 is closed by the back pressure in softwater pipe I! due to relief in tank I, prevent ing back flow of soft water to the tank. This is the condition for jet action and roiling of the zeolite. In Fig. 9, waste valve 28 and check valve l8 remain open and closed, respectively, jet valve 26 is closed, and injector-control valve 22 is open, with hard-water inlet valve 23 remaining closed, so that the hard water passes through the by pass around closed valve 23 and operates injector 3!, drawing the brine through brine pipe 32 to pass from injector 3| through open valve 22, in the by pass, to the lower part of hard-water inlet pipe 5 to the bottom of the tank I. The brine displaces the water in which 'the zeolite was suspended, the water escaping through wastepipe 30. In Fig. 10, all valves are closed except waste valve 28, and the brine with the zeolite suspended therein is quiescent; this being the soaking stage. In Fig. 11, waste valve 28 remains open and check valve It! remains closed, jet valve 26 and injectorcontrol valve 22 are closed, and water-inlet valve 23 is open, admitting hard water to rinse out the brine and impurities through waste pipe 30; this being the rinsing stage. Final turning of the index handle 52 to 0 from 4 restores the condition indicated in Fig. '7, resuming normal watersoftening operation.

The modified device, with the four-position index 53a graduated 0, 1, 2 and 3, of Fig. 5a., omits the soaking stage indicated in Fig. and its cam operation will be understoodirom Fig. 6a, where the peripheral divisions of the cams are 90 deg. in extent instead of 72 deg. as in Fig. 6, and cam 49a diifers from cam 49 in having only two instead of three successive arcs of action on the lesser radius before its volute rise reaches stem of hard-water inlet valve 23 for closing this valve; changing directly from the condition of Fig. 9

to the condition of Fig. 11. These cams are in- 3! and its T connection to valve 36. In the first example we prefer to omit this valve, as the fullest possible freedom of flow of brine through brine pipe 32 is desired, to bring in brine of strong concentration and high specific gravityfor holding the zeolite suspended in the quiescent or soaking stage of this example of the process. With such free passage, the injector 3! is powerful enough in its action to draw in brine almost crystalline in consistency, as before referred to, efiectively suspending the light zeolite when quiescent, and acting quickly and .eifectively, due to its chemical strength, to regenerate and clean the zeolite.

It will be seen that, since the major part of the regeneration is efi'ected with the brine not flowing, in this example of the process, there is economy of salt,in addition to the shorter period of time required to effect thorough regeneration.

In either example, as the brine flows up through the beds 6 and F and the plate 3, all of these parts are cleansed, in addition to-the action on the zeolite, as also is the lower part of the hardwater inlet pipe 5 by the inflow of brine therethrough. The construction of the apparatus is such that all passages are comparatively short and direct, not only allowing low cost of construction, but aiding in efiective action in the several stages of the process. In hand setting of the valves, a minimum of care and attention of the operator is required; the directions needed being limited to specifying movement-of handle 52 to the successive graduations, and the period of time it is to be left at each point, according to the conditions in each installation. The contiriuity of movement in one direction, of the cams,

also makes it convenient to-provide automatic operation thereof, as for instance by means disclosed in our prior patent hereinbefore men tioned.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of regenerating a disintegrated water-softening agent normally bedded in a body of water, with water circulating through said bedunder pressure, comprising creating conditions in which the pressure is relieved and the circulation stopped, and successively, while maintaining said conditions, roiling said agent into said body of water, then comminglin'g with the roiled agent a regenerating material, displacing the water, then rinsing said material from the agent,

and then restoring said conditions, allowing the agent to settle.

2. The process of regenerating a disintegrated water-softening agent normally bedded in a body of water, with water circulating through said bed under pressure, comprising creating conditions in which the pressure is relieved and the circulation stopped, and successively, while mainin which the pressure is relieved and the circulation stopped, and successively, while maintaining said conditions, roiling said agent into said body, then commingling with the roiled agent a regenerative material, displacing the water, then allowing the body of commingled agent and regenerative material to remain quiescent for a substantial period of time, therebysoaking the agent in the regenerative material, then rinsing the material from the agent, and then restoring said conditions, allowing the agent to settle.

4. The process of regenerating a disintegrated. water-softening agent comprising forcibly commingling with the agent a liquid regenerative material of substantially higher specific gravity than the agent, whereby the agent is suspended in the material, and leaving the commingled material and agent quiescent for a substantial period of time.

5. In water-softening apparatus, comprising a hard-water supply means and an enclosure havopen, and mechanism connected to the several closure devices having a cycle of actions closing the hard-water inlet and opening thejet inlet and waste outlet, then closing the jet inlet and allowing operation of the regenerative material admission means, then stopping said operation and opening the hard water inlet, and then closing the waste outlet, said soft-water outlet opening when the waste outlet 'is closed.

6. In water-softening apparatus comprising a hard-water supply means and an enclosure having an inlet from said means, a jet inlet, a waste outlet and a soft-water outlet,and closure devices for the respective inlets and'outlets, apparatus for regenerating the softening agent comprising means operative by flow of water for admitting regenerative material to said enclosure, means closing the soft-water outlet when the waste outlet is open and opening said soft-water 7.-In watersoftening apparatus comprising a hard-water supply means and an enclosure having an inlet from said supply means, a jet inlet, a waste outlet and a soft-water outlet, apparatus for regenerating the softening agent 5 comprising means operative by flow of water therethrough for admitting regenerative material to said enclosure, means whereby the softwater outlet is closed when the waste outlet is opened and opened when said waste outlet is in closed, a conductor admitting the flow of water from the hard-water supply'means through the regenerative material admission means, and valves controlling flow through the waste out let, the jet inlet, the hard-water inlet and said conductor, respectively.

8. In water-softening apparatus comprising a hard-water supply means and an enclosure having an inlet from said supply means, a jet inlet, a waste outlet and a soft water outlet, apparatus for regenerating the softening agent comprising means whereby the soft-water outlet is closed whn the waste outlet is opened and opened when the waste outlet is closed, valves controlling flow through the waste outlet, jet inlet and hard-water inlet, respectively, said hard-water inlet having a by pass around itsvalve, means in said by pass operated by flow of water therethrough to draw a regenerative material into said enclosure through said by pass, and a valve controlling the flow of water through said by pass.

9. In water-softening apparatus comprising a hard-water supply means and an enclosure having an inlet from said supply means, a jet inlet, a waste outlet and a soft-water outlet, and closure devices for the respective inlets and outlets, apparatus for regenerating the softening agent comprising means whereby the soft water outlet is closed when the waste outlet is opened and opened when the wasteoutlet is closed, means operative for admitting regenerative material to said enclosure, and mechanism connected to the several closure devices having a cycle of actions closing the hard-water inlet and opening the jet inlet and waste outlet, then closing the jet inlet and allowing operation of the regenerative material. admission means, then stopping saidoperation and opening 'the hardwater inlet, and then closing the waste 'outlet, said mechanism having in its cycle a period of delay between the stoppage of regenerative material admission and the opening of the hardwater inlet. v

10. In water-softening apparatus comprising a hard-water supply means andan enclosure having an inlet from said supply means, a jet inlet, a waste outlet and a soft-water outlet,, apparatus for regenerating the softening agent comprising means whereby the soft-water outlet is closed when the waste outlet is opened and opened when the waste outlet is closed, means operative for admitting regenerative material, to said enclosure, and mechanism comprising controlling valves for the respective inlets and the waste outlet and means controlling operation of said regenerative material admission means and a device adapted for cyclic operation and having a series of cam surfaces in operative relation to the respective valves and said controlling meansand movable in unison and so relatively arranged that, when moved, said device having the cam surfacesfso arranged that it hasa cycle of actions closing the hard-water inlet valve and opening the jet inlet and waste outlet valves, then closingthe jet inlet valve and allowing operation of the regenerative material admission means, then stopping said operation and opening the hard-water. inlet valve, and then closing the waste outlet valve.

11. In water-softening apparatus comprising a tank and a water-inlet pipe opening into the lower part oi! said tank, apparatus for regenerating the softening agent comprising a jet device in said tank above said pipe opening, a pipe leading to said jet device, a water-supply pipe connected to said water-inlet pipe and said jet pipe, said tank having a waste outlet and a softwater outlet and means closing the soft-water outlet when thewaste outlet is opened and opening the soft-water outlet when the waste outlet is closed, valves in the water-inlet pipe and the jet pipe and the waste outlet, respectively, a by pass from the water-supply pipe around the water-inlet valve and into the water inlet pipe, an injector and a valve in said by pass, and a brine pipe leading into said injector.

12. In water-softening apparatus comprising a tank and a water-supply pipe, extending into said tank, apparatus for regenerating the softening agent comprising a valve controlling flow through said pipe, a by pass around'said valve, an injectorand a valve in said by pass for controlling operation of said injector, a brine pipe leading into-said injector, a branch pipe from said brine pipe into said water-inlet pipe, and

a valve in said branch pipe. a

13. In water-softening apparatus comprising a tank and a series of liquid-conducting connections entering said tank, apparatus for regener ating the softening agent comprising valves in the respective'connections, a single set of cams connected for rotating in unison, a. single one of said cams operatively related to respective 1.3

one of the valves to open and close the valves according to a predetermined cycle upon rotation of the cams, means for manually rotating said cams, and index means for indicating the setting the cams at various stages of rotation 29 in which various combinations of open and closed valves are established.

FRANK X. LAUTEItBUR. EDWARD J. LAUTERBUR. 

